14 VISIT TO BETHLEHEM. manner we passed entirely through the town, which we found almost deserted by the inhabitants, who, having fled the contagion, were seen stationed in tents over all the neighbouring hills. It appeared to be a larger place than we expected to find. The houses are all white; and they have flat roofs, as at Jerusalem, and in other parts of the country. A nephew of the Governor of Jerusalem, mounted upon a beautiful Arabian courser, magnificently accoutred, rode near to the centre of our caravan. He had volunteered his company, as he said, to ensure us respect, and as a mark of the governor's condescension. To our very great embarrassment, we had no sooner arrived in the middle of Bethlehem, than some of the inhabitants, at the sight of this man, came towards him to salute him; and, in spite of all our precautions and remonstrances, a Bethlehemite of some consideration came and conversed with him, placing his arm upon the velvet saddle-cloth which covered his horse's haunches. This, we knew, would be sufficient to communicate the plague to every one of us; therefore there was no alternative, but to insist instantly upon the young grandee's immediate dismissal. However, when our resolutions were made known to him, he positively refused to leave the party. Upon this, we were compelled to have recourse to measures which proved effectual; and he rode off, at full speed, muttering the curses usually bestowed on Christians, for our insolence and cowardice. We reached the great gate of the Convent of the Nativity without further accident; but did not choose to venture within it, both on account of the danger and the certainty of beholding over again much of the same sort of mummery which had so frequently put our patience to the proof in Jerusalem. Passing close to its walls, we took our course down into the deep valley which lies upon its north-eastern side; visiting the place where tradition says the angel, with a multitude of the heavenly host, appeared to the shepherds of Judea, with the glad tidings of our SAVIOUR's nativity; and, finally, halting in an olive plantation, at the bottom of the valley below the convent and the town. We found it necessary to station an armed guard upon the outside of the olive-ground, which was fenced with a low wall, in order to keep off those whom curiosity attracted towards us, and who expressed their astonishment at our fear of them; having withdrawn, they said, from the town, expressly to avoid contagion, and therefore they considered themselves to be secure from receiving or communicating infection. The Arab soldiers of our escort were, however, of opinion, that we should do well to keep them at a distance, and therefore we did not allow them to come within the wall. There was a well stationed upon the outside of our little rampart, near to the spot; and as it was necessary to send to this place for water to boil our coffee, we fixed upon a single individual for this purpose, upon whose discretion we could rely. BETHLEHEM, written Bethlechem by Reland, is six miles from Jerusalem. This distance, allowed by almost all authors, exactly corresponds with the usual computed measure, by time, of two VISIT TO BETHLEHEM. 15 hours. Some inaccuracy might therefore be acknowledged to exist in the printed text of Josephus, describing the interval between the two cities as equal only to twenty stadia. Jerome, who passed so many years at Bethlehem, and therefore was best qualified to decide this point, together with Eusebius, Sulpitius Severus, and Phocus, all agree in the distance before stated. But Reland, with his usual critical acumen, observes, that the apparent inaccuracy of the Jewish historian arises only from a misconstruction of his words; that he is speaking of the distance from Jerusalem to the camp of the Philistines in the valley between the two cities, and not of their distance from each other. There is at present a particular reason for wishing to establish the accuracy of Josephus in this part of his writings. In the same passage he makes allusion to a celebrated well, which, both from the account given by him of his situation, and more especially from the text of sacred scripture, seems to have contained the identical fountain, of whose pure and delicious water we were now drinking. Considered merely in point of interest, the narrative is not likely to be surpassed by any circumstance of Pagan history. It shall be related both with reference to the words of scripture, and to the account given by Josephus. DAVID, being a native of Bethlehem, calls to mind, during the sultry days of harvest, a well near to the gate of the town, of whose delicious water he had often tasted; and expresses an earnest desire to assuage his thirst by drinking of that limpid spring. "AND David longed, and said, OH THAT ONE WOULD GIVE ME DRINK OF THE WATER OF THE WELL OF BETHLEHEM, WHICH IS BY THE GATE!" The exclamation is overheard by "three of the mighty men whom David had;" by Adino, by Eleazar, and by Shammah. These men, the most mighty of all the chiefs belonging to DAVID'S host, sallied forth, and having fought their way through the Philistine garrison at Bethlehem, "drew water from the well, that was by the gate," on the other side of the town, " and took it, and brought it to DAVID." Josephus lays the scene of action in the valley, calling these renowned warriors by the names of Jessaem, Eleazar, and Sebas: he further says, that as they returned back, bearing the water through the Philistine camp, their enemies, gazing in wonder at the intrepidity of the enterprise, offered them no molestation. Coming into the presence of the king, they present to him the surprising testimony of their valour and affection. DAVID receives from their hands a pledge they had so dearly earned, but refuses to drink of water, every drop of which had been purchased by their blood. He returns thanks to the Almighty, who had vouchsafed the deliverance of his warriors from the jeopardy they had encountered; and, making libation with the precious gift, pours it upon the ground, an offering to the Lord. The ancient character and history of the early inhabitants of Judea are beautifully illustrated by this brief record; but it presents a picture of manners which has not lost its prototype among the Arabs of the same country at this day. The well, too, still retains its pris tine renown; and many an expatriated Bethlehemite has made it the theme of his longing and regret. As there is no other well, corresponding in its situation with the description given by the sacred historian, and by Josephus,-and the text of Scripture so decidedly marks its locality, at the farthest extremity of Bethlehem, (with reference to Jerusalem,) that is to say, near the gate of the town on the eastern side (for DAVID's captains had to fight through all the garrison stationed within the place, before they reached it)-this may have been DAVID'S WELL. (To be continued.) FRAGMENTS. TRUTH may perhaps come to the price of a pearl, that sheweth best by day; but it will not rise to the price of a diamond or carbuncle, that sheweth best in varied lights.-Bacon. In the Scriptures we find four things:-precepts for life; doctrines for knowledge; examples for illustration; and promises for comfort.-Herbert. There is an intimate connexion between the perception and relish of truth, and a right disposition of mind; they have a reciprocal influence on each other, and the mystery of faith can only be placed with safety in a pure conscience.-Rev. R. Hall. Faith elevates the soul, not only above sense and sensible things, but above reason itself. As reason corrects the errors which sense might occasion, so supernatural faith corrects the errors of natural reason, judging according to sense.-Leighton. It is bad for the world to be dead, but for a church to be so is worse: this is salt without savour, neither fit for the land nor the dunghill. Fuller. THE LOCAL PREACHER'S JOURNAL will be charged Four Shillings per annum, if transmitted to Subscribers free per post. Those who desire it to be forwarded by that medium, are respectfully requested to address their orders (post paid) to the EDITOR, 27, PATERNOSTER Row; enclosing their Annual Subscription, or an order for that amount. Money Orders must be made payable to MESSRS. WARD & Co. Copies of the Journal to be sent by post will, of course, be printed on lighter paper. T. C. Savill, Printer, 107, St. Martin's Lane. THE LOCAL PREACHER'S JOURNAL. No. II.] LONDON: T. WARD & CO., PATERNOSTER ROW; AND TO BE HAD OF ALL BOOKSELLERS. FEBRUARY, 1842. [THREEPENCE. CONTENTS. PERSONAL CONSECRATION TO GOD. "AND WHO THEN IS WILLING TO CONSECRATE HIS SERVICE THIS DAY UNTO THE LORD?"-1 Chron. xxix. 5. DAVID, the illustrious monarch of Israel, was inspired with an intense solicitude for the Divine Glory. He "assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by course; and the captains over the thousands, and captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possession of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty men, and with all the valiant men, unto Jerusalem:" and "the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me, I had in my heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building; but God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and C 18 PERSONAL CONSECRATION TO GOD. hast shed blood. And he said unto me, Solomon, thy son, he shall build my house and my courts: for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father." Though he was not suffered to witness the consummation of his ardent desire, yet, you will observe, he abundantly prepared for the erection of the sacred edifice, and was wishful that his people should cheerfully co-operate in this great work. His own donation was, indeed, munificent. He “said unto all the congregation:" "Because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of my own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal: the gold for things of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers. And who then is willing, &c." Now, though the magnificent temple of Solomon is no more, and David sleepeth with his fathers, yet He, whose name is "The BRANCH," still "rules upon his throne," and "bears the glory." And it is written, that "He shall build the temple of the Lord," the spiritual, the LIVING TEMPLE. Christ is now engaged in this important work ; and, anxious that you should “ yield yourselves unto God," and "as lively stones, be built up a spiritual house," we inquire, "Who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord ?" In examining the subject of personal consecration to God, permit me to direct your minds to the nature of the service which it involves; the manner in which that service should be rendered; and the grave considerations which prompt us to such a course of conduct. I. THE NATURE OF THE SERVICE IT INVOLVES. To "consecrate," is to dedicate, devote, or solemnly set apart a person or thing to the Divine service. The service which we are now considering is entire. It therefore demands the co-operation of 1. The intellectual faculties. 2. The affections of the heart. 4. The energies of the life. Levit. xxvi. 3, Deut. xi. 1, 13, 14; x. 12, 13. &c. Matt. vii. 21-24. 1 Cor. II. THE MANNER of Rendering that SERVICE. We should consecrate ourselves to the Divine service,— Deut. xxx. 15-20; xxvi. 16. Josh. xxii. 5. |